In one aspect, the invention is an assist apparatus for delivering an assist force to a human subject at a rehabilitation/therapy exercise station comprising: a motorized assist assembly including a motor driven reel, the assembly configured to generate a non-zero assist force through the reel; a flexible assist member having first and second opposing ends, the first end being secured to the reel so as to permit the member to be wound onto and from the reel by operation of the motorized assist assembly; a harness configured to support the human subject, the harness being operably connected to the second end of the flexible assist member to apply the assist force generated by the motorized assist assembly to a human subject in the harness; a human-machine interface configured to receive human input of variable parameters for assistance control including entry of at least a user selected non-zero assist force; and a main digital controller operably connected with at least the motorized assist assembly and the human-machine interface, the main digital controller being programmed to convert the user selected non-zero assist force into control signals suitable to operate the motorized assist assembly to provide the user selected non-zero assist force through the flexible assist member and harness to at least partially support the weight of the human subject during exercise.
In another aspect, the invention is a method of using the of operating the aforesaid assist apparatus comprising the steps of: initially securing the second end of the flexible assist member with the harness being worn by the user; and thereafter using the motorized assist assembly to apply the assist force to the harness with the user, the assist force being less than the weight of the harness wearing user, so as to assist the user to stand.
In another aspect, the invention is assist apparatus for delivering an assist force to user moved weight of a strength training or rehabilitation exercise station comprising: an assist assembly including a non-servo, AC induction motor having an output shaft and a reel drivingly connected with the output shaft so as to be rotated by the motor; a flexible assist member having first and second opposing ends, the first end being configured to be secured to the reel so as to permit the member to be wound onto and from the reel by operation of the motor and the second end being configured to be coupled directly or indirectly with the user moved weight; a human-machine interface configured to receive human input of variable parameters for assistance control including entry of at least a user selected non-zero assist force; a sensor providing data indicating at least one of rotational position and speed of the reel, current being supplied to the motor, torque being output by the motor and tension in the flexible assist member; and a main digital controller operably connected with the sensor and being preprogrammed with a Position-Integral-Derivative algorithm to convert the user selected non-zero assist force into control signals suitable to operate the motor to provide the user selected non-zero assist force through the flexible assist member during at least portions of an exercise set having repeated consecutive concentric and eccentric movement portions.
In another aspect, the invention is a method of operating the aforesaid assist apparatus comprising the steps of: initially securing the second end of the flexible assist member with a user moved primary load interface of the station; thereafter generating the user selected non-zero assist force with the assist assembly and supplying that assist force to the primarily load interface with the flexible assist member at least during concentric movement portions of an exercise set having a repeated sequence of concentric and eccentric exercise portions; and generating the non-zero static force with the assist assembly and supplying the no-zero static force to the primary load interface with the flexible assist member at least during some eccentric portions of the exercise set.
In still another aspect, the invention is an assist apparatus for delivering an assist force to user moved weight of an exercise or rehabilitation station comprising: a motorized assist assembly including first and second motors drivingly connected with a shaft and a reel fixedly supported on the shaft so as to be rotated by the first and second motors; a flexible assist member having first and second opposing ends, the first end being configured to be secured to the reel so as to permit the member to be wound onto and from the reel by operation of the motorized assist assembly and the second end being configured to be coupled directly or indirectly with the user moved weight; a human-machine interface configured to receive human input of variable parameters for assistance control including entry of at least a selected non-zero assist force; and a main digital controller operably connected with at least the motorized assist assembly and the human-machine interface, the main digital controller being preprogrammed to convert the user selected non-zero assist force into control signals suitable to operate the motorized assist assembly to provide the user selected non-zero assist force through the flexible assist member during portions of an exercise set having repeated consecutive concentric and eccentric movements